Dual-well fountain pen



May 30, 1950 -R. T. WING DUAL-WELL FOUNTAIN PEN May 30, 1950 R. 1'. WING DUAL-WELL. FOUNTIN PEN 3 Sheets-Sheet Vk.

Filed March 18, 1946 fuss zz .pfmrvreys May 30, 1950 R. T. WING DUAL-WELL FOUNTAIN `PEN 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 18, 1946 fiar/zeg@ :maar: zwzzzkrzmzzhfnnb@ t .1

Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE DUAL-WELL FOUNTAIN PEN Russell T. Wing, Excelsior, Minn.

Application March 18, 1946, Serial No. 655,077

Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-42.16)

This invention relates to fountain pens and has for its primary object to make it possible to provide a, relatively large ink storage capacity without increasing the hazard of ink leakage; or, better still, decreasing that hazard.

` convenient and effective iiller means, which is In a conventional fountain pen the practical maximum capacity of the ink reservoir is objectionably restricted by the fact that increments of temperature within the reservoir, such as are commonly brought about by holding the pen barrel in ones Warm hand, will cause the reservoir pressure to rise; and, if the volume of air within a reservoir thus affected is `more than a certain amount which experience has shown to be a permissible maximum, the resultant expansion will force out of the reservoir more ink than the feed element can accommodate-with the result that excessive ink will be discharged from the nib. That is what I refer to as flooding or bleeding, and it is something which is most likely to happen when the reservoir is nearly empty, because when that condition obtains there is a relatively large volume of air in the reservoir.

A similar result is apt to occur when a conventional fountain pen is taken, within a short space of time, from a lower to a much higher altitude, as often happens when ying; although in that event it is not a change of temperature which causes the pen to ood. Rather, it the differential between inside and outside pressure, due to the lowering of the outside pressure without a concomitant and equal lowering of the internal pressure. In either case, the size of the reservoir is a critical factor because, as will be apparent, the larger the volume of air in the reservoir the greater must be the volumetric expansion to bring about pressure equilibrium.

The present invention entails the provision of what I call a dual reservoir construction--wherein one reservoir alone is normally connected to the ink feed means whereas a second reservoir is normally isolated from the rst, as respects transference of ink, but may be connected thereto, at will, for the purpose of replenishing the supply of ink in the rst reservoir.

What I call the rst reservoir is, preferably, of small enough capacity to avoid the probability of flooding from either of the aforementioned causes. while the second reservoir may be as large as the predetermined over-all dimensions of the barrel will permit. That is to say, the size of the second reservoir may be as large as desired, within the limitations imposed by the maximum allowable over-al1 size of the barrel.

Another object of my invention is to provide a f along line l--l of Fig. 2;

effective to fill both reservoirs, and which is adaptable to the necessity of being able to open and close a valve between the two reservoirs.

A further object is to provide a suitable valve between the rst` and. secondreservoirs together with convenient means for opening and closing said valve, which will not in any way complicate or interefere with the functioning of the pen or of the illermeans and which will not be detrimental to the appearance of the pen.

Still another object is to provide a dual-reservoir pen which can be manufactured economically-the parts being of straightforward design and susceptible of quick and easy assembling and disassembling.

My invention not only makes practicable a greatly increased ink capacity, but it also serves, inherently, as a reminder to reiill long before the pen goes drythus helping to forestall that contingency.

In the drawings which accompany this speci? fication:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a fountain pen embodying my invention according to one or' the preferred forms;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the pen shown in Fig. 1, showing the parts pertaining to this invention in their normal positions;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the dual well valve open and the ink pump piston partially withdrawn from the penbarrel;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken along line lI--l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the dual well valve open;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 9--9 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l0 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rear portion of another fountain pen illustrating a second embodiment of the invention-the in? ternal parts being shown in their normal positions;

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 10 but showing the internal parts in the Extending transversely through tube 22 is a plug 23 having channels 23a and 23h cut therein. Channel 23a connects the forward portion of the bore of tube 22 with reservoir I9 while channel 23o connects the rear portion of the bore of tube 22 with reservoir I9. A lateral aperture 24 is normally obstructed by the wall 20a., as depicted in Fig. 10, but opens into reservoir 2I when tube 22 is moved rearwardly as in Fig. 11. Another aperture 25` connects the rear end of the bore of tube 22 to the rear end of reservoir 2 I.

Tube 22 is continuously urged rearwardly by a helical spring 26; but said tube is normally held in the position shown in Fig. by the cap I'I.

The rear end of sac 20 is fixedly anchored to an enlargement 22c of tube 22 and, by reason of said anchorage is capable of being stretched by the backward movement of the tube. Said sac is cemented to the barrel at its forward end so that wall 20a remains in a fixed position.

Enlargement 22e has an external tapered flange 22h, the inclined face of which is designed to engage a correspondingly inclined complementary face IBa formed on bushing I E, when tube 22 is moved suiciently to the rear as depicted in Fig. 11. Cap I1 is drilled and counterbored to receive the head of a pivot screw 2l which is threaded into the rear end of enlargement 22o. Cap II is freely rotatable on the head of screw 27.

Upon partially unscrewing cap I'I from bushing I6, tube 22 moves rearwardly under the impetus of spring 26, whereupon the inclined face of flange 22b engages the inclined face Ia and the frictional adhesion therebetween presently becomes of such magnitude that the twisting force applied to cap I'I causes bushing I6 to become partially unscrewed from barrel I5. Tube 22 then rotates with cap I'I and bushing I6 and, as a result, sac 20 ls twisted and consequently collapsed so as to reduce its internal capacity. By rotating cap I'I iirst one way and then the other, sac 20 can be alternately collapsed and expanded in such manner that it is effective as a pen filling means. By collapsing sac 2t, air ls driven therefrom through apertures 24 and 25 into the rear bore of tube 22, thence through channel 23h into reservoir I9 from which it passes through channel 23a into the front bore of tube 22 and out through the feed element I8. Then` upon allowing sac 2U to expand, and assuming that the front end of the pen is immersed in an ink supply, ink is drawn in through the bore of 23a into reservoir I9. In this manner reservoir I9 is lled up to the level of plug 23 and, thereafter, one more expansion of sac 20 will fill or partly ll said sac. The ink which is thus drawn into the sac constitutes a reserve supply. After thus filling the pen, cap I'I and bushing I6 are screwed back to their normal position as per Fig. 10.

Since the pen is carried point down, any pressure developed in reservoir 2| will not expel ink therefrom through aperture 25; but if cap I1 is unscrewed, as depicted in Fig. 11, so as to shift aperture 24 to a position within reservoir 2 I, ink can flow into the rear bore of tube 22 and thence through channel 23h into reservoir I9. And by further unscrewing cap I'I so as to twist and collapse sac 20 the ink will be forced out of reservoir 2I.

Were it not for the fact that tube 22 performs an additional function having nothing to do with the present invention, said tube could be made in two separate parts and plug 23 could be eliminated. So far as the present invention is concerned, there is no need for that parto! tube 22 which is situated in reservoirl I9 to be movable. Therefore, the two partsof tube 22 disposed forwardly and rearwardly of plug 23 can be considered as distinct entities which can be separate and distinct parts if only the sub-l ject invention is involved and the aforementioned additional function eliminated. In drafting certain of the appended claims I have regarded tube 22 as two tubes, without specifying any physical coupling therebetween. 1

I claim:

1, In a fountain pen, a barrel, a nib at the front end of said barrel, a rst reservoir within said barrel, feed means connecting said rst reservoir with said nib, a second reservoir within said barrelat the rear of said first reservoir, .a illl stem connected to said feed means and eX- tending axially of said barrel through both said reservoirs and movable lengthwise thereof, a valve providing the sole connection between said reservoirs for the transference of ink therebetween, said valve being normally closed and operatively mounted on said ll stem, a spring biasing said valve toward open position, a pump piston in sliding telescopic connection with the rear portion of said barrel, means normally operative to hold said piston in its forwardmost position, :and a connection between said fill stem and said piston whereby said valve is normally held closed by said piston against the action of said spring.

2. In a fountain pen, a barrel, a nib at the front end of said barrel, a first reservoir :at the front end of said barrel, feed means connecting said first reservoir with said nib, a second. reservoir within said barrel at the rear of said first reservoir, a valve providing the sole connection between said reservoirs for the transference of ink therebetween, a ll stem connected to said feed means and extending axially of said barrel through both said reservoirs and movable lengthwise thereof, said valve including an element which is carried by said lill stem and movable therewith for opening and closing the valve, a spring urging said fill stem and valve element rearwardly toward a position wherein the valve is open, a pump piston in said second reservoir and reciprocable lengthwise thereof, means normally holding said piston in its forwardmost position, said ll stem being normally held by said piston in its forwardmost position, thus holding said valve closed, said piston being reciprocable to a limited extent independently of said ll stem for filling said reservoirs.

3. In a fountain pen, a barrel, a nib at the front end of said barrel, a first reservoir within said barrel, feed means connecting said first reservoir with said nib, a second reservoir within said barrel at the rear of said rst reservoir, valve means providing the sole connection between said reservoirs for the transference of ink therebetween, said valve being normally closed, there being no communication between said second reservoir and said feed means and nib except when said valve is open, said valve having a capillary passageway and a non-capillary vent passageway, each interconnecting said reservoirs only when said valve is open, said capillary passageway providing a conduit for the ilow of ink from the second reservoir to the first reservoir. and said vent passageway providing a conduit for the escape of air from said iiirst reservoir into said second reservoir, and manually operable means for opening and closing said valve.

4. In .a kfountain pen, a barrel, a nib at the front endofvvsaid` barrel,` ka irst reservoir, Within said yzbarreL feed means. connecting said .first reservoir with `said nib, a, second reservoir with@ inzsad barrel .at `the ,rear of said vrlrst reservoir, a 'valve providing the isole, connection between said reservoirs for the transferenceof Vink therebetween, said .Valvek including an annularstationary :seat and a movable, valve element vhaving a yseat portion normally, engaging 4said.5stationary seat and thus .maintaining the valve normally closed, said valve element including a shankportion-extending through and slidablyv tting the borev .of :said :annular stationary seat, said shank portion .having a ycapillary groove and a :1on1 capillary groove, said capillary groove providing a conduit, vwhen .the valve is open, for the flow of ink from the second .reservoir .to the first reservoir, said nonicapillary groove providing a conduit, when `the valve is open, for discharging air .from the rstreser-voir into thev second reservoir, Aand manually operable means for lopening and 'closing said valve.

5J Ina fountain pen, an elongateA barrel, an lannular valve seat member removably secured in said barrel and Yserving :to divide the Space within said barrel into two compartments Vcom- .prisinga 'first reservoir. located at the front end vofthe barrel anda second reservoir located at thel rear of therst reservoir, a cup-likepump piston slidably telescoped into the rear end of Vsaid barrel, said piston being normally held in ,-itsforwardmost vposition by threaded engagement -with. said barrel, said pistonY being releasable 4for reproicationby unscrewng it from the bare 35 Number rel, and-an assembly removably mounted insaid barrel and `comprising fa governor including ink feed'means, a ll stem telescopically-connected to said governor and extending axially through said barrel, a valveV element carried by said ll stem and extending through said 'annular valve seat, said valve element normally cooperating with said valve seat member. to segregate said reservoirs, al spring vcontinuously urging -said ll stem Vand valve element rearwardly, the rear end of said -ll stem normally bearing against said piston and being thus .held in a position which maintains said valve element in seating engagement with said valve seat member, said fill stem and valve element being movable rearwardly by said spring when said piston `is unscrewed from said barrel.

RUSSELL T. WING.

REFERENCES CITED The oilowing references are of record in the `le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 651,736 Wirt June 12, 1900 A961,663 Vogelmann June 14, 1910 1,007,619 Vogelmann 1 Oct. 3l, 1911 1,313,056 Blackwood et al. Aug. 12, 1919 1,567,527 Lynn Dec. 29, 1925 1,651,047 Stewart Nov. 29, 1927 1,910,907 'Schlosser May 23, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date 6,570 Great Britain Feb. 24, 1916 

